Spring Cleaning and Wine Go Together
I had a Norwex (cleaning products) party a few weeks ago and along with about 3 gallons of wine I served some food. My recycling bin was full of empties and a good time was had by all.
Here's the menu:
Caprese Salad
Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
Carmelized Onion and Bacon Pizza
Baguettes and butter (from the good bakery in town)
Brownies (from a box because baking is beyond me)
For the caprese salad, there really isn't a need for a recipe since it's easy, but I'll include it anyway. I used Roma tomatoes because it is not prime tomato season. And so I used small mozzerella balls so the slices would be about the same size as the tomato slices. I used about double the amount of cheese to tomatoes, which seemed about right.
Caprese Salad
2 containers small fresh mozzerrella balls, sliced
6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 package fresh basil, chiffonaded (roll leaves up like a cigar, then slice)
olive oil (about 1 T)
balsamic vinegar (also about 1 T)
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt
Arrange cheese and tomatoes on platter, sprinkle basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over. I don't always include the balsamic.
The Pea Pesto salad is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. She includes a recipe for pesto, but I used pre-made. I also increased the amount of pasta, since I had a group about 20 people, but this amount would probably have fed 30 people.
1 pound fusilli pasta
1 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 c olive oil
1 container pesto (I used Trader Joes, I think it was 8 oz, which is less than Ina calls for, but turned out okay)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 c Hellman's mayonnaise
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 c frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 c pine nuts
3/4 t kosher salt
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
The original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pasta-pesto-and-peas-recipe2/index.html
The pizza recipe was good and the platter was practically licked clean, but I think next time I will add chopped parsley for beauty and I will par-bake the crust before adding toppings and finishing it off. The recipe called for making a crust from scratch, but I just didn't have time for such a thing. Also, the recipe said to put the onions and bacon on the pizza uncooked, which just didn't seem like enough time to cook to me, especially for the bacon, which I enjoy crispy-style.
Onion, Bacon and Cream Pizza
1 pizza crust, however you get there (Pillsbury, Boboli, Jiffy, scratch, etc.)
For the topping:
2 white onions, peeled and sliced thin and carmelized by cooking slowly on low heat with small amount of olive oil, about half hour to 45 minutes
1/2 package of bacon, cooked til crisp, then cut in matchstick size pieces
1/2 cup crème fraîche
Freshly ground black pepper
Top the pizza with the onions, bacon, crème fraîche, and light sprinkling of pepper. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Onion-Bacon-and-Cream-Pizza-103172
Here's the menu:
Caprese Salad
Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
Carmelized Onion and Bacon Pizza
Baguettes and butter (from the good bakery in town)
Brownies (from a box because baking is beyond me)
For the caprese salad, there really isn't a need for a recipe since it's easy, but I'll include it anyway. I used Roma tomatoes because it is not prime tomato season. And so I used small mozzerella balls so the slices would be about the same size as the tomato slices. I used about double the amount of cheese to tomatoes, which seemed about right.
Caprese Salad
2 containers small fresh mozzerrella balls, sliced
6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 package fresh basil, chiffonaded (roll leaves up like a cigar, then slice)
olive oil (about 1 T)
balsamic vinegar (also about 1 T)
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt
Arrange cheese and tomatoes on platter, sprinkle basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over. I don't always include the balsamic.
The Pea Pesto salad is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. She includes a recipe for pesto, but I used pre-made. I also increased the amount of pasta, since I had a group about 20 people, but this amount would probably have fed 30 people.
1 pound fusilli pasta
1 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 c olive oil
1 container pesto (I used Trader Joes, I think it was 8 oz, which is less than Ina calls for, but turned out okay)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 c Hellman's mayonnaise
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 c frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 c pine nuts
3/4 t kosher salt
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
The original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pasta-pesto-and-peas-recipe2/index.html
The pizza recipe was good and the platter was practically licked clean, but I think next time I will add chopped parsley for beauty and I will par-bake the crust before adding toppings and finishing it off. The recipe called for making a crust from scratch, but I just didn't have time for such a thing. Also, the recipe said to put the onions and bacon on the pizza uncooked, which just didn't seem like enough time to cook to me, especially for the bacon, which I enjoy crispy-style.
Onion, Bacon and Cream Pizza
1 pizza crust, however you get there (Pillsbury, Boboli, Jiffy, scratch, etc.)
For the topping:
2 white onions, peeled and sliced thin and carmelized by cooking slowly on low heat with small amount of olive oil, about half hour to 45 minutes
1/2 package of bacon, cooked til crisp, then cut in matchstick size pieces
1/2 cup crème fraîche
Freshly ground black pepper
Top the pizza with the onions, bacon, crème fraîche, and light sprinkling of pepper. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Onion-Bacon-and-Cream-Pizza-103172
Here's a tip on pizza...if you have a stone, put it on the bottom rack of your oven on the highest temp you can get it to (500 - 550) and preheat with it in there for like 15-20 mn.
ReplyDeleteWhen I do this I just slide my pizza on it and it takes like 8 mn and the crust is perfect every time. I don't do this with frozen pizza, just fresh pizza crust...